More and more people are switching from WhatsApp to Signal, hoping to better protect their privacy. That makes sense. Signal has a solid reputation and encrypts messages by default. But if you really want to communicate freely and securely, you need to look beyond just the app you use.
Because as long as you’re using Signal on a Google-based phone, and your data is stored on centralized big tech servers, you’re not solving the real issue. You’re still handing over your data and metadata to companies that have full control over it.
Even Signal, as privacy-focused as it may be, operates through a centralized system. That means dependence on a single organization. And therefore vulnerability. To outages. Government pressure. Policy changes. Or even exclusion.
From switching apps to changing the system
If you truly want digital autonomy, you need more than just a privacy-friendly app. You need a phone that isn’t connected to Google or Apple. A system where you decide where your data lives and who has access to it. No ads. No tracking. No hidden data collection.
That’s why there’s the OwnPhone
On Thursday 29 May, we’re launching the OwnPhone: a smartphone designed to give you full control. In collaboration with Volla Systems and Threefold Internet, YourData Network introduces a real alternative to the smartphones and networks of big tech.
Volla Systems is a German manufacturer of privacy-first smartphones built without Google software. Threefold Internet is a global decentralized network where users store data on independent nodes instead of centralized servers.
The OwnPhone runs on YOS (Your Operating System), a lightweight, open-source OS with no Google or Apple. No background tracking. No forced updates. No hidden connections.
Your data stays where it belongs: with you.
Your own storage, your choice
The phone includes several apps from the Volla ecosystem, supported by the Holochain network. These apps ensure that some of your data never even leaves your device.
If you want to store or sync files online, the pre-installed Nextcloud app is ready to go. It works just like Google Drive, allowing you to manage documents, share files, and access everything from your phone.
Choose to use Nextcloud, and your data can be stored on the decentralized internet of Threefold. You decide whether to install it yourself or let us set it up for you. Your data will then live on an independent node in the network, your own or someone else’s.
What makes the OwnPhone different?
- Full control: no ads, no tracking, no hidden data collection
- Your own storage: local on your device or decentralized via Nextcloud
- Minimalist and distraction-free: a clean, calm digital environment
- Built in Europe: developed and assembled in Europe
Why this matters
Privacy isn’t just about encrypting messages. It’s about ownership. Of your device. Of your data. Of your digital life.
As long as your data is managed by large corporations, you’re dependent. And therefore vulnerable.
Centralized systems are exposed to:
- censorship or exclusion
- outages or shutdowns
- leaks or metadata exploitation
- sudden policy shifts
The OwnPhone offers a structural alternative. Not a quick fix on top of a broken system, but a fresh foundation.
Your phone. Your network. Your data.
True digital freedom, built from the ground up.
Join the online launch on 29 May
On Thursday 29 May, YourData Network, Volla and Threefold will present the OwnPhone during a free online launch event. Everyone interested in digital autonomy, secure communication and technological sovereignty is welcome.
👉 Sign up here: www.ownphone.net
All participants will automatically receive the replay afterwards.
About YourData Network
YourData Network helps individuals and organizations make the switch to the decentralized internet of Threefold. Through products, services and education, we help you reclaim ownership of your data and your digital infrastructure.